How to use AppleScript to switch Caps Lock Key to be Ctrl Key

Question

I can't seem to figure out how to select the correct buttons with Applescript. I am starting to learn vim and want to be able to toggle the Caps Lock Key between Caps Lock and Ctrl. I have marked the steps which I need to complete.

I found (this post) but it seems to be a little hacky. Maybe it's the way it supposed to be but it shows the system pref. window every time I use it, unlike (this code) that toggles the fn key and works seemlessly.

Could anyone offer some advice?

Here's my code:

tell application "System Events"
    tell application "System Preferences"
        reveal anchor "keyboardTab" of pane "com.apple.preference.keyboard"
    end tell

    -- [STEP 1] set mod_keys to value of output from within "Modifier Keys..."
    set mod_keys to button "Modifier Keys..." of tab group 1 of window 1 of application process "System Preferences"

    -- I would prefer not to have to click the mod_keys because I don't want the window popping up but if it's necessary then okay
    click mod_keys

    -- [STEP 2] set cl_key to the second dropdown of mod_keys
    set cl_key to menu item 2 of menu 1 of pop up button 4

    set cl to value of cl_key
    if cl is menu item 2
        set q to menu item 2 of menu 1 of pop up button 4
    else
        set q to menu item 1 of menu 1 of pop up button 4
    end if

end tell

-- This is just to make sure it works, but may be unneccessary
if application "System Preferences" is running then
    tell application "System Preferences" to quit
end if

return q

Here is the Modifier Keys Screenshot:

enter image description here

enter link description here http://imageshack.us/a/img833/474/o5co.png

Do you have any reason for not using [KeyRemap4MacBook](https://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/) or [PCKeyboardHack](https://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/pckeyboardhack.html.en)? — romainl, Mar 21 '14 at 08:55
Yeah, I am trying to make it so that once I finish it, I can distribute the workflow amongst the Alfred Community so they wouldn't have to go download a bunch of additional software. If you look at the link I mentioned above, basically I can't get it to toggle back to the CAPS LOCK KEY. It just stays selecting the CTRL key. I can't figure it out. — Alex Cory, Mar 21 '14 at 09:33
So you want folks to download software so they don't have to download software? Hum. Seriously, GUI Scripting is hideously hacky and fragile: scripts frequently break with OS/app updates or when shared across other machines with different user settings. You really only want to use GUI scripts yourself when there's _no_ other option, and you want to distribute them even less. If users need to twiddle key mappings, just tell them to use KR4MB: it's mature, robust, and totally free. Or make your own custom key map using [e.g.] [Ukelele](http://scripts.sil.org/ukelele) and distribute that. — foo, Mar 21 '14 at 22:03
Thanks @foo! I appreciate the feedback. Now I know how to **"do it the right way"** and I appreciate that. — Alex Cory, Mar 24 '14 at 19:34

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 22 '14 at 10:18

This toggles the keys (you have to change the german labels):

    tell application "System Events"
tell application "System Preferences"
    reveal anchor "keyboardTab" of pane "com.apple.preference.keyboard"
end tell

tell window 1 of application process "System Preferences"
    click button "Sondertasten …" of tab group 1

    tell sheet 1
        tell pop up button "Feststelltaste (⇪):"

            set state to value
            click
            delay 0.2
            if "Feststelltaste" is in state then
                click menu item "⌃ ctrl-Taste" of menu 1
            else
                click menu item "⇪ Feststelltaste" of menu 1
            end if
            delay 0.2
        end tell
        click button "OK"
    end tell
end tell
    end tell

    if application "System Preferences" is running then
tell application "System Preferences" to quit
    end if

But as foo wrote, GUI-Scripts should be the last solution. Especially in Mavericks it's really annoying because you have to enable access for assistive devices for every single app (and again if you change your script).

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited Aug 25 '18 at 12:07

I have taken your codes into consideration and implemented it. So for those of you using English, you can use the code below:

tell application "System Events"
    tell application "System Preferences"
        reveal anchor "keyboardTab" of pane "com.apple.preference.keyboard"

    end tell
    tell window 1 of application process "System Preferences"
        --  click button "Modifier Keys…" of tab group 1
        set uiElems to entire contents

        click button "Modifier Keys…" of tab group 1 of window "Keyboard" of application process "System Preferences" of application "System Events"
        delay 1
        click pop up button "Caps Lock (⇪) Key:" of sheet 1 of window "Keyboard" of application process "System Preferences" of application "System Events"
        delay 0.2
        keystroke "n"
        delay 0.2
        key code 36
        delay 0.2
        click button "OK" of sheet 1 of window "Keyboard" of application process "System Preferences" of application "System Events"

    --  set uiElems to entire contents

    end tell

end tell

if application "System Preferences" is running then
    tell application "System Preferences" to quit
end if

How to use AppleScript to switch Caps Lock Key to be Ctrl Key

2 Answers2